Sacrifice
by crazyocelot
Summary: Trask has a chance to explain his actions at the beginning of KOTOR.


"Dealer adds a four, brings your total to nineteen. Looks like I win the round." The scruffy-looking Republic soldier sat back and folded his arms across his chest, a smug smile across his face.

"Not so fast, Kallon." Trask grabbed a card from his sidedeck and placed it down so his opponent could see the /-1 emblazoned on it. "This brings it to twenty. We're tied again."

"Nice play," Kallon said approvingly. He shuffled the deck and prepared to deal again. "So how's that new bunkmate of yours?"

"Haven't seen much of her yet," Trask said. She'd been sleeping every time he'd gone to check on her.

"Or at least, haven't seen as much of her as you'd like, hmm?" Kallon winked.

Had Kallon known the truth about Trask's new bunkmate, he wouldn't be making such insinuations. Trask supposed she was an attractive woman, but he was definitely not going to be propositioning her.

"Rumor has it she's a smuggler," Kallon continued. "A woman like that's gotta be the adventurous type."

A smuggler. Trask had been puzzled when he'd first found out about the identity the Jedi had provided her with when they'd reprogrammed her mind. He would never have expected them to pick such an... unorthodox occupation as her background. Later, he'd decided it made sense: they had changed her memories, but her personality had remained intact through the procedure. If she was a smuggler, it would explain some of her more unusual thoughts and attitudes.

Kallon pulled a -2 card out of his side deck to bring his card total down to twenty. "What's her name again?"

"Danna." The name felt strange on Trask's tongue. He'd never get used to calling her that. He'd just continue to think of her as Revan underneath it all. He understood the importance of her new name and identity, even if he didn't agree with what the Jedi had done, and he'd keep her secret, even from her. He had been given the responsibility of watching over her, after all. But that didn't stop him from thinking _Revan_ every time he said _Danna_.

"Danna, hmm? Well, you're a lucky man, Trask. Not all of us get a cute redhead assigned as our bunkmates. Although with a little time and a little luck, she might start spending more time in my room than in yours." Kallon grinned.

"Don't, Kallon. Leave her alone." Trask glared at the other man, keeping his voice firm. He was distracted enough to take a hit when he shouldn't have, and ended up with a card total he couldn't remedy.

"Bit protective, aren't we? Don't worry about it, Trask. You get first dibs on her. Although not on your credits, it seems."

Trask passed over a sizeable lump of credits. Kallon had beaten him fairly.

Before either of them could say anything else, a loud crunching sound filled the air, and the floor shook beneath them.

"What…?" Kallon never finished his question. As the wail of the ship's alarm filled the air, part of the ceiling caved in, burying Kallon and just missing Trask.

Trask jumped back and nearly failed to notice the beep of his portable communicator. Carth Onasi's voice carried through, sounding harried and tense. "We're under attack! A Sith battle fleet managed to ambush us. Full defensive alert!"

_Revan._ Trask had to get her. Hopefully she was awake. She'd been asleep since the Jedi had delved into her mind. They had told Trask she'd wake when she was ready, but he hadn't seen her eyes open yet. He had to hope the attack would speed her along. He didn't think he'd be able to carry her through the passages of the ship during a battle with the Sith.

After quickly checking to see if Kallon had survived the rubble crashing on top of him, Trask muttered a quick word to honor his now dead friend. Much as he felt it inadequate, he didn't have time for anything more.

Racing down corridors, trying to ignore the frequent lurches of the ship caused by the Sith firing on them, Trask finally reached the room he shared with Revan.

The door was, of course, locked. Trask swore under his breath as he entered the override codes to open the door. Lockdown didn't usually affect the dorms, but considering who his bunkmate was, the Jedi had decided the extra bit of protection couldn't hurt.

To his great relief, Trask found Revan standing next to her bed. She looked woozy, and had probably tumbled from her bed rather than having gotten up willingly, but she was conscious and she was moving. Now the trick was to keep her moving.

"We've been ambushed by a Sith battle fleet!" Trask informed her. "The Endar Spire is under attack! Hurry up –we don't have much time!"

Revan looked at him blankly. "Who are you?"

_Looks like the Jedi did their job thoroughly_ Trask thought grimly. _She doesn't remember a thing. I hope some of those new memories they gave her stuck…_ Out loud, he briefly introduced himself and invented some excuse about opposite shifts to explain why she wouldn't recognize her bunkmate.

Revan nodded, still looking a little dazed. She didn't even seem to notice she was still standing there in her underwear.

There was another crash, and the ship shuddered around them once again. Trask stumbled, and Revan nearly lost her balance completely. Steadying her with one arm, he raised his voice to be heard over the din.

"Hurry, we have to find Bastila! We have to make sure she makes it off the ship alive!"

"Who's Bastila?"

Trask nearly ground his teeth at the question. The Jedi had tried to smother anything that might trigger one of her "Revan" memories, and hadn't even left her something on Bastila.

He somehow managed to repress a sigh as he gave her a brief rundown of Bastila's significance on the Endar Spire. Revan raised one eyebrow as he mentioned aiding the Jedi once again, arms stubbornly folded across her chest.

Trask was tempted to give up right then and there. Trying to coerce an amnesiac Sith Lord into helping a Jedi shouldn't be his responsibility. He didn't have any special skills to recommend him to the job. The Republic was counting on him, though, and so Trask made one last effort as the Sith fired on the Endar Spire.

"You swore an oath just like everyone else on this mission. Now it's time to make good on that oath."

Revan's eye narrowed in annoyance, but Trask couldn't tell if she were irritated because he was right and she'd have to stay to fight, or simply because he kept talking. He decided to take a risk.

"I know all about your reputation, how you used to smuggle spice and blasters along the Corellian Run. I guess the Republic figured since they couldn't catch you, they might as well hire you."

He hated lying to her, but she'd never know. His words matched her memories, and even if they didn't, she couldn't use the Force anymore. She couldn't sense things like that. Even so, he managed to fill the rest of his words with truth. She'd probably never understand their truer, deeper meaning, but he had stopped talking to the disoriented smuggler "Danna" and addressed the former Sith Lord for a brief moment.

"I'll admit, the Republic is in desperate need of someone with your kind of skills. Desperate enough to overlook your shady past. But now that you've signed on for this mission you're part of the Republic fleet. And Bastila needs all troops at her side during this attack."

Revan sighed. "Okay, let's go help Bastila."

Trask gave a silent cheer. With a little luck, he'd be able to get both women off the ship intact. Of course, before running off to battle, Revan might want to find some clothes...

She glared at him when he mentioned this, despite his effort to be tactful. She did, however, put some clothes on and grab a few weapons from her footlocker.

Once again, Trask's portable communicator beeped, as did Revan's. She jumped, and looked even more startled when a male voice began speaking to her from seemingly nowhere.

"This is Carth Onasi –the Sith are threatening to overrun our position! We can't hold out long against their firepower. All hands to the bridge!"

Trask filled her in with another brief explanation, this time outlining who Carth was, and emphasizing again how dire their situation was.

Revan nodded again. She was starting to look a little impatient with all these explanations, and Trask couldn't blame her. He'd rather cut the chatter and get to where Bastila was, too.

The two of them started down the hallway, and Trask couldn't help but feel they'd somehow started on a much bigger journey than the one they were making to the bridge of the Endar Spire.

Revan and Trask hurried through the twisting corridors of the ship, both of them moving with a sense of urgency. They turned another corner, and nearly walked into combat. Sith and Republic soldiers were locked in battle, both sides taking heavy losses. Before Trask had a chance to take out his weapon, one of the Sith threw a grenade into the fray, instantly killing all the fighters except for himself and one other Sith soldier.

"These Sith must be the advance boarding party," Trask growled in Revan's ear. Blaster in hand, he took a defensive stance, letting out a battle cry as the first shots began to fly.

Revan had grabbed both a blaster and a sword from her foot locker, but she seemed to prefer the latter as she ran forward to meet the Sith head on. Trask made certain to provide cover fire for her.

Having been weakened by the previous battle, the two Sith went down quickly. Trask hurriedly checked Revan and himself for injuries, but the skirmish had been small and fast enough that neither of them had suffered anything more than a nick. Satisfied, he pressed on, bringing Revan closer to the bridge.

The next door they opened revealed a sight Trask froze at. A dark-haired woman in loose robes struggled with a hairless man in dark clothes. That wasn't what made Trask pause, though. It was the man's glowing red blade striking against the woman's bright blue one.

"It's a Dark Jedi! This fight is too much for us –we better stay back. All we'd do is get in the way." Trask felt a little silly saying this to _Revan_ of all people. It wasn't long ago she could have beaten both of them without even thinking about it. Since the Jedi had reprogrammed her mind, however, she was unable to use the Force. Even with the Force, the woman currently battling the Dark Jedi looked to have both her hands full.

Trask watched the two lightsabers clash, the intensity mounting with each strike. Both the Jedi and the Dark Jedi were beginning to tire, and it was only a matter of time before one of them made a fatal error.

Out of the corner of his eye, Trask could see Revan intently watching the Jedi battle. Her eyes were wide, and her weapon dangled uselessly by her side. She seemed entranced. From what her memories allowed, this was the first time she'd seen a Jedi in action.

The female Jedi finally managed to drive her lightsaber through her opponent's midsection, finishing the battle. Beside him, Trask could hear Revan heave a sigh of relief, echoing his sentiments.

Another shot from the Sith warship hit the Endar Spire, but this time the sound was much louder. A flash of light burst through the wall, and Trask instinctively took a step back. When the light disappeared, both Jedi lay lifeless on the floor. Now that he could see her face, Trask recognized the woman. He'd spoken with her a few times.

"That was one of the Jedi accompanying Bastila," he said quietly. Revan gave him a questioning look, and Trask remembered that as an ensign, he wasn't supposed to have occasion for much contact with the Jedi on board the ship. He made an effort to sound more like an average soldier. "Damn! We could have used her help."

They didn't have time for any more regret than that. Trask and Revan continued to make their way through the corridors of the ship toward the bridge. There seemed to be another Sith attacking them every time they rounded a corner. Trask kept an eye on Revan through their scuffles, but he found he really didn't need to. She was more than a competent fighter, taking out soldiers with confidence and swift, smooth strikes. What she lacked in strength she made up for in speed.

After they had waded through what seemed like an endless supply of Sith soldiers, the two of them finally reached the bridge, where yet more Sith rushed to attack them. Although her movements never faltered, Revan was starting to look weary.

"Bastila's not here," Revan said when they'd demolished the small Sith squad that had taken over the bridge. Her eyes darted around as if she expected more Sith to pop out of the walls.

"They must have retreated to the escape pods," Trask explained. "We better head that way, too. The Sith want Bastila alive, but once she's off this ship, there's nothing stopping them from blasting the Endar Spire into galactic dust."

Revan nodded, and the two of them moved toward the double doors connecting the bridge to the starboard section of the ship. Trask set a rapid pace, unsure how much longer they'd have to get off the ship, if Bastila had already made for the escape pods.

As they approached the second door, a strange chill settled over Trask.

"There's something behind here," he said, not entirely sure how he knew that.

Revan tightened her grip on her sword, her muscles tensing in preparation for action. Trask opened the door.

A tall man dressed entirely in black stood beyond the door, asthough he'd been waiting for them. He was bald, with a small black moustache and goatee, and his eyes were dull, as if he had no life or spirit for them to reflect. That was the only dullness about him, though. He was like the sword in Revan's hand: cold and hard, and just as deadly.

The man raised his hand, and with a hiss, two lines of red light shot out from the small metal cylinder in his hand, one blade on either side.

"Damn! Another Dark Jedi." There wasn't much else Trask could say at this point.

Judging from the double-bladed lightsaber, this was not just any Dark Jedi. This man was a skilled fighter, and could easily take down both the Republican soldiers before him.

Trask glanced over at Revan. The Jedi and the Republic needed her. They needed the memories buried deep within her subconscious mind. He had no idea what the Jedi's plans were on that front, since they seemed to have snuffed out anything that could even remotely remind her of her previous life, but she needed to get out of here alive. She was possibly even more important to the war effort than Bastila.

Of course, he had to admit to himself he'd do his best to protect her even if she didn't have valuable information locked inside her. Despite all she had done, even if she didn't know him anymore, he couldn't do anything less for his younger sister.

Trask grabbed Revan's arm just as she was about to lunge toward the Dark Jedi. "I'll try to hold him off, you get to the escape pods! Hurry!"

Before she could protest, he pushed her backwards and triggered the lock mechanism on the door, locking himself in with the Dark Jedi.

_May the Force go with you, Rev,_ he thought as the Dark Jedi descended upon him.

It was the last thought Trask Ulgo ever had.


End file.
